1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a stainless steel step mountable to the frame of a pickup truck on the exterior of and below a door of the truck by means of a universal bracket and an adjustable support rod. More specifically, the invention relates to a step constructed of a combination of stainless steel and mild steel which can be securely mounted to the frame on any type of truck. The invention also includes a universal bracket and a telescoping support rod with ends which can be bent to conform to the frame of the truck and to the step as means to secure the step to the truck.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today's new vehicles normally are not provided with exterior steps. Therefore, many pickup truck owners add steps to their trucks just below either the driver's side door or the passenger's side door, or below both these doors. The reasons for adding steps to a truck include both functional and aesthetic considerations.
Steps make entering the truck's cab easier, particularly for very young or old people, for individuals having short legs, and for person's wearing garments, such as tight skirts, which restrict the height which the individual's leg and foot may be raised in order to step into the cab. Therefore, the steps must be strong in order to support the weight of a person as he or she enters and exits the cab. Strictly from a standpoint of strength, the ideal material for constructing a truck step would be mild or carbon steel. However, steps constructed of mild steel are generally not very attractive, even if painted, and the carbon steel will eventually rust from the moisture it is exposed to in this service. Thus truck steps constructed of carbon steel are not very popular with truck owners.
On the other hand, from a purely aesthetic standpoint, truck steps constructed of stainless steel are most attractive. Additionally, stainless steel truck steps remain attractive for years because stainless steel does not rust like mild steel when exposed to the elements. However, stainless steel is a more expensive material than mild steel. Also stainless steel is difficult and costly to shape into the proper configuration to form a truck step and to polish after being properly formed. In order to reduce the cost of their product and thereby make their product more cost competitive in the marketplace, some manufacturers of truck steps have reduced the thickness of the stainless steel used in constructing their steps and have reduced support structures employed to secure the steps to the truck frame. As a result of such changes, these stainless steel truck steps, although quite attractive, are essentially non-functional because they are so structurally weak that they cannot bear the weight of an individual without bending or breaking completely off the vehicle.
The present invention addresses these problems by providing a truck step which combines the strength of carbon steel, the beauty and rust resistance of stainless steel. The present invention is inexpensive to produce and utilizes unique universal brackets and adjustable support rods in order to securely mount the step to any pickup truck frame.